Whether you live in Puglia or are on vacation, you will soon discover that Puglia’s reputation for excellent food is well deserved. Eating vegetarian in Puglia, even if you are not vegetarian, is a delight. Local farmers’ markets in every town, small or large, all boast their own market day, or days, where you will find seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables piled high. Locals tend to cook with whatever is in season and readily available, a habit that we have adopted. Eating out can be hit and miss for vegetarians, find the right restaurants and you will be spoilt for choice. Look for restaurants with a wide array of antipasti – it is very easy to make a meal of antipasti, with multiple dishes and plenty of choices, and a dessert.
A very good way to learn about Puglia cuisine is to take a cookery lesson. Many of our vacation guests have done just that at the Cook in Puglia school, and we have joined in on several delightful occasions, a morning of fun and learning about the local dishes from local people who are passionate about traditional cooking. From the summer of 2020, the Cook in Puglia school has been held in a rural location close to Lecce, with plenty of indoor and outdoor spaces and surrounded by nature. It is easily accessible from our holiday villas, and we can help you to book a morning cooking lesson, followed by lunch, enjoying the results of your cooking and sampling some great wines. Cooking lessons can be catered to all tastes and lifestyles, including vegetarian.
Guests come back from their Cook in Puglia experience full of enthusiasm and often armed with a recipe or two to take home. What better way to remember Puglia than to be able to recreate some of the excellent dishes that you will have discovered. Ylenia Sambati, founder of the Cook in Puglia school, who is a vegetarian herself, has recently published her first cookbook Italian, Simple, Vegetarian. And for visitors to our website, Ylenia has provided the recipe below for you to try.
